How does soil inspire art? SOILSCAPE’s global survey is now live, and we want your input! This exciting initiative explores how soil serves as a medium or muse for artistic expression, helping us map soil-inspired projects and initiatives worldwide. Share your insights by December 10th and become part of a global effort to connect art, soil, and sustainability! At reframe.food, we’re proud to lead SOILSCAPE’s Open Call for Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)—providing funding to innovative and participatory campaigns across Europe that spotlight the importance of healthy soils.
The Horizon project SOILSCAPE (“Spreading Open and Inclusive Literacy and Soil Culture through Artistic Practices and Education”), with a budget of €6 million, is an ambitious 4-year initiative supporting the European Union’s new strategy, “A Soil Deal for Europe”, aiming for a transition to healthy soils by 2030. Coordinated by the French Soil Science Society (AFES) and involving 19 partners from 11 countries, SOILSCAPE brings together soil scientists, the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), artists, and civil society organizations in a collaborative effort to highlight the importance of soil protection in Europe and beyond.
SOILSCAPE harnesses the power of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), artists, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to promote soil preservation across Europe and beyond. Working with experts from the worlds of soil sciences, arts, decision-making, and humanities, this project seeks to cultivate soil literacy and celebrate soils through creative approaches, engaging citizens & professionals on this journey. SOILSCAPE’s objectives include understanding human-soil relations, building a network of more than 120 relevant actors in 8 countries, onboarding at least 320 individuals from the society, providing financial and technical support to CSOs, CCIs, schools, artists, and institutions, distributing 80 soil literacy certifications to inspiring initiatives, and reaching international scales through UNESCO and Coalition of Action for 4 Soil Health. To achieve these objectives, SOILSCAPE uses a multilingual and multi-actor approach, focusing on cultivating artistic soil intelligence, promoting context-based soil literacy, enhancing awareness through innovative communication strategies and a soil literacy portal, organizing 2 editions of national soil festivals across Europe, and extending its actions to 30 regions by 2028.
The project unfolds through 4 key stages:
Contemplation: Consulting stakeholders to understand individual perception on soils, arts, and links with societal values; Investigating soil narratives and the potential of arts and arts-based methodologies to engage in soils.
Preparation: Developing people-centric transformative strategies, including an artistic and creative international soil network.
Action: Conducting and monitoring the SOILSCAPE creative activities, including the support to 28 arts-soils initiatives led by third parties.
Sustainability: Validating and replicating the SOILSCAPE initiatives at large.
SOILSCAPE is more than a project; it’s a visionary movement supporting the EU’s goal for healthy soils by 2030. Coordinated by the French Soil Science Society (AFES), the initiative unites 19 organizations across 11 countries to bridge soil science, art, and communities. Together, we’re fostering soil literacy and ensuring the preservation of this vital resource.